sie
/ziː/
The English word 'they' is translated into German as sie.
The pronoun sie is used to refer to a group of people or objects in the third person plural.
Meaning: third-person plural pronoun (pron)
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between the lowercase sie (they) and the capitalized Sie (formal 'you'). While they may sound similar, the capitalized Sie is used when addressing someone respectfully, whether you are speaking to one person or a group.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using sie to mean 'they', the accompanying verb must always be in the third-person plural form, such as sie sind (they are).
How do you pronounce it?
/ziː/
Did you know?
- The word sie is an etymological relative of the Old English 'sēo', which was a feminine singular form of 'that one'.
- While sie means 'they', German has no single-word equivalent for the singular 'they' used as a gender-neutral pronoun in English.
- If a German speaker uses the formal Sie to refer to a single person, the verb is still conjugated in the plural form, just like the word for 'they'.
Examples in context
- Und da sind sie.And here they are.This sentence is useful for pointing out the location of a group using sie.Tatoeba #1301102 by al_ex_an_der, translation #1349846 by sacredceltic
- Tun sie das oft?Do they do that often?This sentence shows how to form a question about a group's habits using sie.Tatoeba #1470358 by al_ex_an_der, translation #2731050 by raggione
- Sie sind im Weg.They are in the way.This sentence uses sie to describe a group's position or state.Tatoeba #1700862 by Esperantostern, translation #265659 by CK
- Sie haben gestern angerufen.They called yesterday.
- Möchten Sie ihnen heute eine E-Mail schreiben?Would you like to write them an email today?
- Sie waren gestern in Köln.They were in Cologne yesterday.
- Hast du schon von ihnen gehört?Have you heard from them yet?
- Haben Sie mit ihnen über das Projekt gesprochen?Did you speak with them about the project?
- Hast du gestern Zeit mit ihnen verbracht?Did you spend time with them yesterday?
- 8920 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Maximilian are looking at a group of people across the street.
- HannahSie warten auf den Bus.They are waiting for the bus.
- MaximilianHaben sie Regenschirme dabei?Do they have umbrellas with them?
- HannahNein, sie sehen sehr nass aus.No, they look very wet.
- MaximilianDas ist wirklich schade für sie.That is really a pity for them.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “they” translations and entries sie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
